EAP921/6/3/159

Bāṇeśvara was from Guptipāṛā (Guptipallī) and became sequentially the court-poet of Krishna Chandra of Nabadwip, Chitrasen of Burdwan [Bardhaman], Nawab Alivardi Khan and Naba Krishna Deb of Shobhabazar. The manuscript is a modern notebook. The scribe wrote on one side of the pages. The first text is Śivaśataka, a hymn to lord Śiva in 100 verses. But the editor Rāmacaraṇa Cakravartin says that the original manuscript contains only 60 verses and therefore we find only 60 verses here. This manuscript is a copy of the text published in the fifth year issues of a periodical called Śrībhāratī (Bengali Era 1350 = 1943 CE). The first 22 verses along with the introduction and translation by Rāmacaraṇa Cakravartin was published in the Vaiśākha issue (pp. 404-410) and the rest (verses 23-60) was published in the 10th and the 11th (Jyaiṣṭha and Āṣāḍha) issue (pp. 425-435). The second text, Devīstotra is a hymn to the Goddess. This manuscript contains a critical edition of it based on two manuscript and a Bengali translation of the original text. The editor is again Rāmacaraṇa Cakravartin. The text begins on the 30th page. This manuscript is again a copy of Śrībhāratī Fourth year (Bengali Era 1348=1941-42). First fourteen verses were published in the third (Kārttika) issue (pp. 164-168) and the rest (verses 15-46) was published in the 8th (Caitra) issue (pp. 450-458). The third text, Kāśīśataka is an eulogy of Kashi in 100 verses. Bāṇeśvara completed composing this text in Śaka 1677 on the 21st day of the solar month Mārgaśīrṣa on a Wednesday in forenoon. This is a critical edition of the text by Rāmacaraṇa Cakravartin along with an introduction and a Bengali translation. This text begins on the 51st page. The fourth text is a hymn to the Goddess Tārā in 42 verses. The editor Rāmacaraṇa Cakravartin published this text in the first year issue of Śrībhāratī (pp. 413-16, 463-68). The text begins on the 96th page.; Complete / Incomplete: Complete MS; Place of composition: Guptipallī, Bengal; Date of copying: Not mentioned, after 1943.

Custodial history: One of the oldest libraries in the Hooghly district. Sisir Bani Mandir was established at Guptipara in 1917. The library has a good collection of old Sanskrit and Bengali manuscripts and some rare books in different languages. Cuncura Bartabaha is one of the rarest collections of the library.

Administrative context: The CSSSC, on realising the importance of copying the collection applied for a grant to the EAP against which EAP921 has been awarded.

Calendar: Common Calendar.

Extent and format of original material: One Manuscript of 115 folios.

Physical characteristics: Extremely fragile. The original size of the folios are 24X20 cm.

Owner(s) of original material: Sisir Bani Mandir Pathagar.

Author(s) of original material: Bāṇeśavara Vidyālaṅkāra, son of Rāmadevatarkavāgīśa Bhaṭṭācārya.

Scribe of original material: Not mentioned.